Kill Shakespeare from IDW

[Lord Jermaine Retail]

I just got a letter in the mail from the creators of a new book from IDW called "Kill Shakespeare." Apparently what the series does isn't adapt the plays like Classics Illustrated or whatever, it will be a shared universe where all the characters from Juliet to Lady Macbeth to Othello all exist together and interact in new stories. That sounds good and what little preview art I got looked good. We're supposed to get a review copy soon and I'll post more about it. Maybe your retailers will be getting the same letter and review copy soon.

In the meantime, here's the website: http://www.killshakespeare.com/

[thatguyfromsyracuse]

Just got the same thing today. I'll give it a shot, sounds pretty interesting.

[SidekicksRevenge]

Okay. Interesting premise, but it sounds hard as fuck to pull of well.

[Jef UK]

I bought this, and read the first 3 chapters last night. I don't think I can finish reading it. There is absolutely no nuance to these characters and story, and frankly, I wish I had read the premise first, because I think it is lame.

I bought it for really cheap, and I thought it was going to be about spies, assasination attempts and Christopher Marlowe. Fables meets Shakespeare's plays? Blech.

But even past my disappointment, this premise isn't very well executed, and it relies too much on reader knowledge about the characters as Shakespeare wrote them.

[Pia Guerra]

Why do I get the feeling this was originally titled KILL WILL?

Or maybe it should have been.

[Marc Lombardi]

Jef: I kindly disagree. I view it as sort of a League of Extraordinary Shakepearean Legends and have been loving the series. The characters are not exact representations of the written versions but interpretations of them. I'm really happy with the book. It's actually one of my favorites.

[Gryphon]

I am really enjoying this series and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone interested.

[capntightpants]

But do they speak in iambic pentameter?

[Ben]

Isn't Shakespeare already dead?

[Marc Lombardi]

But do they speak in iambic pentameter?

I do not think I can provide the truth
For it would take some knowledge on my part
that I do not think that I can produce,
so I will search inside my blackened heart
to give you all the answers that you seek.
They do not rhyme. C'mon! That's pretty weak!

[capntightpants]

I do not think I can provide the truth
For it would take some knowledge on my part
that I do not think that I can produce,
so I will search inside my blackened heart
to give you all the answers that you seek.
They do not rhyme. C'mon! That's pretty weak!

I applaud you taking the time to formulate the answer. :)

[Jef UK]

But do they speak in iambic pentameter?

I think it's shabby Shakespearian dialogue--i.e. flowery, stiff dialogue without any of the poetry, depth and humor of the original. Mostly, so far, all of the dialogue is just explaining how things are going to work to Hamlet-as-cipher.

[Jef UK]

Jef: I kindly disagree. I view it as sort of a League of Extraordinary Shakepearean Legends and have been loving the series. The characters are not exact representations of the written versions but interpretations of them. I'm really happy with the book. It's actually one of my favorites.

So far, I haven't found much character in the first 3 chapters. Hamlet, one of the most engaging characters in all of fiction, is a dull cypher. The bad guys so far are all just shrill and bad. It's like the writers' interpretation of these characters was to remove all the nuance from some of the most nuanced characters ever written!

Overall, I just think it's a bad idea to tackle Shakespeare like this. You can't win in that endeavor, imo.

Meanwhile, a story about Shakespeare as spy and Christopher Marlowe et all would excite me!

Have you read Dead Man In Deptfort by Anthony Burgess? I highly recommend it!

[Marc Lombardi]

Have you read Dead Man In Deptfort by Anthony Burgess? I highly recommend it!
I have not, but your recommendation puts it near the top of my list.

For fans of Shakespeare in modern times I would recommend "My Name Is Will: A Novel of Sex Drugs and Shakespeare" by Jess Winfield

[The Zevad]

Trade waiting this.

[MayorMitch100]

Isn't Shakespeare already dead?

If you believe the hype. :roll: